Feng Shui Decorating Ideas for Business & Office
According to the Bagua diagram, the front middle of the room is the gua, or section, that rules career. If you are using the Bagua diagram to plan the layout of your entire house, it is best to place your home office in this quadrant. Whether your work space is used to manage household affairs such as paying bills and preparing a budget, or you perform your job or job-related duties from the comfort of your home, proper decorating of this area will ensure longevity and success. If you want business to pick up, want a new job, want to be making more money, or want to find the job of your dreams, the career area is the section to focus on.
The career gua is ruled by the element water and the colors black and blue. Water encourages the flow of life and can bring about new opportunities. The color black symbolizes money and income, and is also the color of protection and power. Because balance and alignment of the elements is extremely important in feng shui decorating, take care not to place anything that represents Earth or Wood in this section. For example, to encourage stability, you could display a painting of a mountain; but make sure there is not a waterfall in the picture because in the feng shui cycle of the elements, earth destroys water. A safe, which is constructed of metal, should be placed in the office for practical reasons, but it is also okay because metal enhances water
Do not place your desk in such a way that your back faces a door or a window as these give you no support or protection for your back and "you might be backstabbed by colleagues." When your back faces the door, you are also symbolically turning your back on new business, which would enter through the front door. Don't have any mirrors in your office as they can reflect the negative energy of clients back onto you and your space. If your career seems to be at a standstill, remove dirt or anything that is soiled from the career gua. Even earthenware, ceramic materials can muddy a career.
Treat your files with care as they represent your past, and since every step you have taken has led you to where you are today, it is important to treat the past with the utmost respect. On the same note, it is equally important to draw attention to your achievements by displaying diplomas, certificates or awards.
A big part of feng shui is the intentions of the person who is doing the decorating. When you place or remove a particular object from the room, be consciously aware of the fact that you are doing this to promote good fortune, productivity and new directions. Feng Shui believes that certain figures or statues can influence positive energy. In the corner diagonally across from the front entrance, place a Money Toad or three-legged frog to activate the ‘Wealth Luck' of the building and bring in better income. The God of Wealth, Kwan Kung, is an ancient hero who will protect your environment when placed facing the front entrance; placed behind your seat, he will make sure that you never lack support from powerful people. Three Chinese coins bound together with red ribbon also bring in money and are best when taped under the computer or cash register.
Creating a dream board can be an effective tool in feng shui decorating. Basically, it enables you to literally visualize your goals and keep your dreams in sight. Hang up a bulletin board or poster board, in a place where you will see it every day. On it, place pictures of future endeavors, images that represent where you want to go in your career and what you want to do. For example, if you have a monetary goal, write your target number down; if your dream is to be a doctor, hang up images of practicing surgeons.
If your work has nothing to do with your passion, with what you really want to be doing, it helps to incorporate water into the career area. An indoor fountain, an aquarium, a noise machine or CD that replicates the sounds of flowing water, even a picture of a lush, moving river are all items that can energize your life to move in the natural direction of your dreams.
